ICC World Test Championship: How well did the 'Fab Four' perform in their first series

After the completion of an exciting World Cup, the top nine ranked Test teams got ready for another global championship for Test match supremacy. Unlike ODIs and T20Is, Test cricket did not have a World Cup or Championship. But after ICC' green-lighted it, the top nine ranked Test team are now battling it out against each other in the ICC World Test Championship 2019-21.

The Test Championship began after the end of the Men's ODI Cricket World Cup 2019 and the inaugural match was played between England and Australia (The Ashes). Since then, six teams have played out their first series of the Championship - England, Australia, India, West Indies, Sri Lanka and New Zealand. We also witnessed some cracking matches in the Championship so far.

With this Test Championship, the 'Fab Four' of modern-day cricket - Virat Kohli, Steve Smith, Kane Williamson and Joe Root came out to muscle their supremacy in the field. All of the four have so far played their respective series. Let's take a look at how the 'Fab Four' have performed so far in the ICC World Test Championship.

#1. Virat Kohli

Players to wear a numbered shirts in Test cricket now

Virat Kohli, undoubtedly, is a modern-day great. The India captain has proved his mettle time and again and has been consistent enough to shatter records after records.

After India's loss in the semi-finals of the World Cup, Kohli aimed to begin well at the Test Championship. India played West Indies in their first series after the World Cup and began their campaign with a white-wash of the opponents in both the T20Is and ODIs. Kohli was at his best in both the formats scoring some crucial runs and also two consecutive hundreds in ODIs. The fans and everyone else was now eager to see how much will he score in Tests as this was the place where he scored his first double hundred in a Test match.

However, Kohli failed to score big in the first match and managed the scores of 9 and 51 in both the innings. He never looked out of touch but failed to get the big score which he often does in West Indies. Even in the second match he scored a brilliant 76 and looked good for a big hundred but was dismissed by Jason Holder. It got even worse in the second innings as Kohli was dismissed for a golden duck by Kemar Roach.

Having a sub-par Test tour in the Carribean should not worry anyone because the potential and run-scoring hunger of Virat Kohli wouldn't abate. With the beginning of the home season, the Indian skipper would be eyeing for some big scores under his belt and even the World Test Championship as well.

The schedule for the inaugural World Test Championship has been announced as part of the 2018-2023 Future Tours Programme.READ ➡️ https://t.co/ejX9zsY5Gu pic.twitter.com/3RNjCxftSW

— ICC (@ICC) June 20, 2018

Also see – World Test Championship points table

#2. Steve Smith

Steve Smith had a memorable return to Test cricket

The Ashes 2019 will always be remembered for two things - close nail-biting Test matches and The return of Steve Smith.

After a year-long ban from international cricket, Steve Smith returned to Test cricket with the Ashes. Amidst all the boos from the English crowd, Smith made a mark and proved why he is a 'great' in Test match cricket.

The five-match, highly-contested Ashes series was the perfect platform for Smith to show what he is made of. The ICC World Test Championship began in Birmingham with the first match of the Ashes and it was the Steve Smith show altogether. He scored hundreds in both the innings of the match and won it for Australia silencing all his critics.

The second match at Lord's saw Smith scoring a valiant 92 in the first innings. He didn't come to bat in the second innings as he was struck by a lethal bouncer from Jofra Archer. Smith had a concussion replacement in Marnus Labuschagne, the first-ever in the history of Test match cricket. The concussion also saw Smith sit in the next match which Australia lost to a once-in-a-lifetime innings from Ben Stokes.

With his return in the 4th match of the series, Smith went up a notch by scoring a brilliant double century followed by a half-century in the second innings. Australia retained the Ashes, courtesy Smith's brilliance. Smith got difficult to get dismissed throughout the series as he scored another half-century in the 1st innings of the last test as well.

By the end of the series, Smith had scored 774 runs in 7 innings with an average of 110 with three centuries and three fifties. It was a phenomenal return for Smith in Test cricket as he also secured the numero uno rankings in ICC Test Ranking for Batsmen. The boos at the beginning of the series turned into bravo by its end. Among the 'Fab Four', Steve Smith had the best series to begin the ICC World Test Championship campaign.

#3. Kane Williamson

Kane Williamson had a below-par series vs Sri Lanka

Kane Williamson is arguably New Zealand's finest batsman and the most underrated player in the 'Fab Four'. After a disappointing loss in the finals of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019, Williamson & Co. toured Sri Lanka to begin their ICC World Test Championship campaign.

The campaign didn't begin in Kane's favour as the host Sri Lanka won the first match by 6 wickets. The New Zealand skipper failed to get going in both the innings of the first test match of the series. His scores of 0 & 4 were one of the reasons that the backbone of New Zealand's batting order were broken.

A big score was expected from the New Zealand skipper in the second and final Test match of the series. He played a couple of crisp strokes though, to begin with, but was soon dismissed on a paltry score of 20. He looked in good touch but couldn't hold on longer in the middle. However, centuries from Tom Latham and BJ Watling helped the Kiwis amass a winning total and level the series 1-1.

Though Kane Williamson did not get the scoreboard moving as he always does, a big innings might be on the cards for him. A batsman of the class of Williamson, won't take many matches to get into his act and be on the leading run-scorers list of the ICC World Test Championship.

#4. Joe Root

Joe Root had a mixed Ashes series.

Two of the 'Fab Four' featured in the opening game of the ICC World Test Championship when England took on the rivals Australia in the highly contested Ashes series. While Steve Smith had an exceptional Ashes, England skipper Joe Root had an average one by his standards, though he got a few decent scores

Joe Root started with a half-century in the first innings but didn't go further on. That was his story throughout the series. He failed to convert those starts into a big scores which is expected from a player of his calibre. He recorded three ducks in the series and was at the centre of the criticism.

Root scored 325 runs in 10 innings at an average of 32.50 with four half-centuries to his name. Root failed to lived up to the expectations of bringing back the Ashes home. The English media and former players questioned his captaincy and even suggested to replace him as a captain.

With his four half-centuries and a couple of decent starts, Root promised a lot in the series. England, however, failed to win the Ashes at home since 2001,but levelled the series 2-2. Root now has his task cut out for the rest of the season as he has a point to prove. With away tours of New Zealand and India in the reckoning, Root will be eager to get his momentum right and silence his critics.